Democratic Caucus of the United States Senate
Encyclopedia
The Senate Democratic Caucus (or Conference) is the formal organization of the current 51 Democratic Senators in the United States Senate
. In the 112th Congress, the Democratic Caucus additionally includes two independent
senators who formally caucus
with the Democrats for the purpose of committee assignments and Senate organization, bringing the total to 53 members. The primary organizational front for Democrats in the Senate, its primary function is communicating the party's message to and unifying all of its members. Caucus leadership consists of Senator Harry Reid
(NV)
as Chairman and Senate Majority Leader, Senator Dick Durbin (IL)
as Whip or Assistant Majority Leader, Senator Charles Schumer
(NY)
as Vice-Chairman, and Senator Patty Murray
(WA) as Secretary. The two independent members are Senators Joe Lieberman
of Connecticut
and Bernie Sanders
of Vermont
.
With the swearing-in of Goodwin and the increase of the Democratic Caucus to 59 members, the Caucus will still need to gain one vote from the Republican Caucus to muster the 60 votes necessary under Senate Rule 22
to invoke cloture on motions to proceed on a number of major bills. Invoking cloture on a motion to proceed is a parliamentary maneuver that increasingly substitutes for invoking cloture on a filibuster
of the underlying bill.
created the position of the Vice Chairman, making it the third ranking Democratic position, after Leader and Whip.
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. In the 112th Congress, the Democratic Caucus additionally includes two independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
senators who formally caucus
Caucus
A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a political party or movement, especially in the United States and Canada. As the use of the term has been expanded the exact definition has come to vary among political cultures.-Origin of the term:...
with the Democrats for the purpose of committee assignments and Senate organization, bringing the total to 53 members. The primary organizational front for Democrats in the Senate, its primary function is communicating the party's message to and unifying all of its members. Caucus leadership consists of Senator Harry Reid
Harry Reid
Harry Mason Reid is the senior United States Senator from Nevada, serving since 1987. A member of the Democratic Party, he has been the Senate Majority Leader since January 2007, having previously served as Minority Leader and Minority and Majority Whip.Previously, Reid was a member of the U.S...
(NV)
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
as Chairman and Senate Majority Leader, Senator Dick Durbin (IL)
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
as Whip or Assistant Majority Leader, Senator Charles Schumer
Charles Schumer
Charles Ellis "Chuck" Schumer is the senior United States Senator from New York and a member of the Democratic Party. First elected in 1998, he defeated three-term Republican incumbent Al D'Amato by a margin of 55%–44%. He was easily re-elected in 2004 by a margin of 71%–24% and in 2010 by a...
(NY)
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
as Vice-Chairman, and Senator Patty Murray
Patty Murray
Patricia Lynn "Patty" Murray is the senior United States Senator from Washington and a member of the Democratic Party. Murray was first elected to the Senate in 1992, becoming Washington's first female senator...
(WA) as Secretary. The two independent members are Senators Joe Lieberman
Joe Lieberman
Joseph Isadore "Joe" Lieberman is the senior United States Senator from Connecticut. A former member of the Democratic Party, he was the party's nominee for Vice President in the 2000 election. Currently an independent, he remains closely affiliated with the party.Born in Stamford, Connecticut,...
of Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
and Bernie Sanders
Bernie Sanders
Bernard "Bernie" Sanders is the junior United States Senator from Vermont. He previously represented Vermont's at-large district in the United States House of Representatives...
of Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
.
History
The Caucus was formally organized on March 6, 1903, electing a chairman to preside over its members and a secretary to keep minutes. Until that time, the caucus was often disorganized, philosophically divided, and had neither firm written rules of governance nor a clear mission.111th Congress
The 111th Congress opened on January 3, 2009 with 55 Democrats and two independents in the caucus, for a total of 57 members. The membership total has changed several times since then:- Membership increased to 58 on January 12, 2009, when Roland BurrisRoland BurrisRoland Wallace Burris is a former United States Senator from the state of Illinois and a member of the Democratic Party....
was sworn in to fill the seat that had been vacated by then-President-electPresident-electAn -elect is a political candidate who has been elected to an office but who has not yet been sworn in or officially taken office. These may include an incoming president, senator, representative, governor and mayor.Analogously, the term "designate" An -elect is a political candidate who has been...
Barack ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, who had resigned from the Senate on November 16, 2008 after being elected President. - The party change of Arlen SpecterArlen SpecterArlen Specter is a former United States Senator from Pennsylvania. Specter is a Democrat, but was a Republican from 1965 until switching to the Democratic Party in 2009...
(from Republican to Democratic) on April 28, 2009 brought the total to 59. - When Democratic Senator Al FrankenAl FrankenAlan Stuart "Al" Franken is the junior United States Senator from Minnesota. He is a member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, which affiliates with the national Democratic Party....
of MinnesotaMinnesotaMinnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
was sworn in on July 7, 2009, membership increased to 60. - Membership dropped back to 59 at the death of MassachusettsMassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
Senator Ted KennedyTed KennedyEdward Moore "Ted" Kennedy was a United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Party. Serving almost 47 years, he was the second most senior member of the Senate when he died and is the fourth-longest-serving senator in United States history...
on August 26. - Membership increased back to 60 on the swearing-in of Paul G. Kirk, the designated interim replacement for Ted Kennedy, on September 24.
- Membership returned to 59 on February 4, 2010 after the swearing-in of Scott BrownScott BrownScott Brown is a United States senator.Scott Brown may also refer to:-Sportsmen:*Scott Brown , American college football coach of Kentucky State...
, who was elected to the seat following the special election on January 19, 2010. - Membership dropped to 58 upon the death of Senator Robert ByrdRobert ByrdRobert Carlyle Byrd was a United States Senator from West Virginia. A member of the Democratic Party, Byrd served as a U.S. Representative from 1953 until 1959 and as a U.S. Senator from 1959 to 2010...
. - Membership returned to 59 with the swearing-in of Carte GoodwinCarte GoodwinCarte Patrick Goodwin is an American politician and attorney who served as a United States Senator from West Virginia. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Goodwin was appointed by West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin on July 16, 2010, to fill the vacancy created by the death of Robert Byrd. ...
, the designated interim replacement for Robert ByrdRobert ByrdRobert Carlyle Byrd was a United States Senator from West Virginia. A member of the Democratic Party, Byrd served as a U.S. Representative from 1953 until 1959 and as a U.S. Senator from 1959 to 2010...
on July 20, 2010. - Membership dropped to 58 with the swearing-in of Mark KirkMark KirkMark Steven Kirk is the junior United States Senator from Illinois and a member of the Republican Party. Previously, Kirk was a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Illinois's 10th congressional district....
, who won the November 2 special election to fill Barack ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
's senate seat.
With the swearing-in of Goodwin and the increase of the Democratic Caucus to 59 members, the Caucus will still need to gain one vote from the Republican Caucus to muster the 60 votes necessary under Senate Rule 22
Standing Rules of the United States Senate, Rule XXII
Rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the United States Senate, established by the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, governs the precedence of motions in the Senate.-Motions and pending questions:...
to invoke cloture on motions to proceed on a number of major bills. Invoking cloture on a motion to proceed is a parliamentary maneuver that increasingly substitutes for invoking cloture on a filibuster
Filibuster
A filibuster is a type of parliamentary procedure. Specifically, it is the right of an individual to extend debate, allowing a lone member to delay or entirely prevent a vote on a given proposal...
of the underlying bill.
List of caucus chairmen
- John W. StevensonJohn W. StevensonJohn White Stevenson was a U.S. Representative, the 18th Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky, the 25th Governor of Kentucky and U.S. Senator. His father, Andrew Stevenson, had served as Speaker of the House and minister to Great Britain...
(inception-1877) - William A. WallaceWilliam A. WallaceWilliam Andrew Wallace was an American lawyer and Democratic party politician from Clearfield, Pennsylvania. He served in the Pennsylvania State Senate and was its speaker in 1871. He represented Pennsylvania in the United States Senate from 1875 to 1881.After his U.S. Senate service Wallace was...
(1877–1881) - George H. PendletonGeorge H. PendletonGeorge Hunt Pendleton was a Representative and a Senator from Ohio. Nicknamed "Gentleman George" for his demeanor, he was the Democratic nominee for Vice President of the United States during the Civil War in 1864, running as a peace Democrat with war Democrat George B. McClellan; they lost to...
(1881–1885) - James B. BeckJames B. BeckJames Burnie Beck was a United States Representative and Senator from Kentucky.Born in Dumfriesshire, Scotland, Beck immigrated to the United States in 1838 and settled in Wyoming County, New York. He moved to Lexington, Kentucky in 1843 and graduated from Transylvania University in 1846...
(1885–1890) - Arthur P. Gorman (1890–1898)
- David TurpieDavid TurpieDavid Battle Turpie was an American politician.Turpie was born in Hamilton County, Ohio. He grew up in Ohio and graduated from Kenyon College in 1848. He studied law and moved to Logansport, Indiana where he set up a law practice...
(1898–1899) - James K. Jones (1899–1903)
- Arthur P. Gorman (1903–1906)
- Joseph Clay Stiles BlackburnJoseph Clay Stiles BlackburnJoseph Clay Stiles Blackburn was a Democratic Representative and Senator from Kentucky. He was the younger brother of Kentucky governor Luke P. Blackburn. Blackburn, a skilled and spirited orator, was also a prominent trial lawyer known for his skill at swaying juries.He was born near Spring...
(1906–1907) - Charles A. Culberson (1907–1909)
- Hernando D. Money (1909–1911)
- Thomas S. MartinThomas S. MartinThomas Staples Martin was an American lawyer and Democratic Party politician from Charlottesville, Virginia. He represented Virginia in the United States Senate for nearly twenty-five years....
(1911–1913) - John Worth Kern (1913–1917)
- Thomas S. MartinThomas S. MartinThomas Staples Martin was an American lawyer and Democratic Party politician from Charlottesville, Virginia. He represented Virginia in the United States Senate for nearly twenty-five years....
(1917–1919) - Oscar W. Underwood (1920–1923)
- Joseph T. Robinson (1923–1937)
- Alben W. BarkleyAlben W. BarkleyAlben William Barkley was an American politician in the Democratic Party who served as the 35th Vice President of the United States , under President Harry S. Truman....
(1937–1949) - Scott W. LucasScott W. LucasScott Wike Lucas was a two-term Democratic United States Senator from Illinois, and the United States Senate Majority Leader from 1948 to 1950....
(1949–1951) - Ernest W. McFarland (1951–1953)
- Lyndon B. JohnsonLyndon B. JohnsonLyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
(1953–1961) - Mike MansfieldMike MansfieldMichael Joseph Mansfield was an American Democratic politician and the longest-serving Majority Leader of the United States Senate, serving from 1961 to 1977. He also served as United States Ambassador to Japan for over ten years...
(1961–1977) - Robert C. Byrd (1977–1989)
- George J. MitchellGeorge J. MitchellGeorge John Mitchell, Jr., is the former U.S. Special Envoy for Middle East Peace under the Obama administration. A Democrat, Mitchell was a United States Senator who served as the Senate Majority Leader from 1989 to 1995...
(1989–1995) - Thomas A. Daschle (1995–2005)
- Harry M. Reid (2005–present)
Vice Chairmanship
After the victory of Democrats in the Midterm Elections of 2006, an overwhelming majority of the caucus thought of rewarding Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, a position in the hierarchy after defeating six incumbent Republicans. In response, Democratic Leader Harry ReidHarry Reid
Harry Mason Reid is the senior United States Senator from Nevada, serving since 1987. A member of the Democratic Party, he has been the Senate Majority Leader since January 2007, having previously served as Minority Leader and Minority and Majority Whip.Previously, Reid was a member of the U.S...
created the position of the Vice Chairman, making it the third ranking Democratic position, after Leader and Whip.
- Chuck Schumer (2007–Present)
External links
- Official Home of the Senate Democratic Caucus on the Internet
- Senate Party Leadership -- Much of this article's content was adapted from this useful public domain resource.
- First Formal Organization of the Senate Democratic Caucus